Most draft nights look the same from the outside. A stage, suits, cameras, the commissioner reading out names while the crowd reacts in real time. The whole thing. Fernando Mendoza did not go that route. While the whole nine yards are in Pittsburgh, he was at home with his family around him to celebrate a momentous occasion.
Fernando Mendoza Built a Lego Set on Draft Night
Mendoza was the consensus QB1 heading into the night, and it wasn’t just talk either as the numbers back it up. PFSN had him graded at 90.61 in their scouting profile, and his QB Impact Metric sat at 93.3, second among all quarterbacks.
On Thursday, before the 2026 NFL draft commenced, he was at home building a Minas Tirith Lego set from Lord of the Rings. You’ve got the No. 1 overall pick, and he’s just… putting together Lego pieces.
Fernando Mendoza is building a Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith Lego set before the NFL Draft pic.twitter.com/1ZuU55Rf3D
— Pick 6 Pack (@Pick6PackFB) April 23, 2026
In another picture, he’s giving an interview with his dad and his brother, as they’re laughing in the image.
Fernando Mendoza is all smiles ahead of Draft Night 👏 pic.twitter.com/MJFTlvCen1
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) April 23, 2026
In this following picture, he’s wearing a black and silver two piece suit (subtle Raiders nod, nothing over the top).
Fernando Mendoza portando los colores negro y plata en el día del arranque del #NFLDraft 2026. pic.twitter.com/tYMojZYOhp
— Somos Malosos (@SomosMalosos) April 23, 2026
And just like everyone expected, the Raiders made it official by selecting him as the first guy to enter the league in 2026. Here’s what he said after the pick: “Now I step into a great game, in the NFL, and I look forward to proving and earning it every single day,” Mendoza told ESPN. “What a great organization. Great legacy, with so many teammates I’m looking forward to talking to. I’m ecstatic for the opportunity.”
“I’m ecstatic for the opportunity.”
Fernando Mendoza is ready to hit the ground running with the @Raiders 🙌
NFL Draft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/73kTnMdpyj— NFL (@NFL) April 24, 2026
If you go back a few years, this wasn’t the expected outcome. Coming out of high school in Miami, he was not exactly a big name. Not even close. Ranked way down the list, at around the 130th best quarterback prospect, he committed to Yale at one point, which, yeah, not exactly where NFL stars usually come from.
But then, he moved to Cal, spent a few years developing and then transferred to Indiana in 2024. And the year after that, 2025, kind of changed everything for him. Last season wasn’t just good, it was one of those “wait, what just happened?” kind of jumps. He led Indiana to a Big Ten title. Then a National Championship. Won the Heisman. All in one season.
By the time the draft began, he was not only in the conversation, he was the conversation. Mendoza’s measurable clock in at around 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, so he checks all the physical boxes. But what’s incredible is how calm he looks in the pocket. His footwork is clean and he is comfortable throwing into tight spaces. Maybe a bit too comfortable sometimes. His relaxed mindset is what allows him to make throws most guys won’t even attempt, which makes him perfect for Las Vegas.
He is not a chaos player by any means. He’s not running around making off-platform magic every snap. If anything, when things break down, you see a bit of stiffness there. But inside the structure? He’s really, really good.
